For the last 5 years I have reliably gotten my nvidia cards to work in linux using the nvidia drivers. Nouveau and its predecessors (open source for nv) never worked properly, and the nvidia drivers did. Until now. I've used Mint once or twice before, but basically I had settled in as an Ubuntu user. I was really starting to get comfortable! Ubuntu 12.04 and Unity break the nvidia proprietary drivers, which I find to be quite a nuisance. I can get it to work 2-D. Since I like xfce, and wanted to see MATE, I figured to give Mint a try again (Maya, LM13, LTS).

Here is the problem. I don't seem to have 3-D, and my dual monitor setup won't display across the monitors (ala xinerama or Win "expand the desktop"). And I can't tell if 3-D is supposed to work. From the nouveau website, it seems like maybe 3-D DOESN'T work with nouveau yet. confused?

The most important thing is the dual monitor setup. It does NO good having two monitors showing exactly the same thing. I can find controls to flip, flop, rotate, and twist the display - but it still only shows the same scene as the other monitor, just flipped, flopped, rotated, or twisted. That's no help.

Is this a hopeless task? I've relied on nvidia graphix for all these years BECAUSE of the support they have given us in the linux community. Now it seems like I'm involved in a self-caused pain celebration.

Sorry for venting a little. What should I do with the drivers? Should I just go with the nvidia drivers, even though the underlying Ubuntu distro 12.04 doesn't work with them? Or should I fix the nouveau driver setup somehow? Or am I missing something?

I tried the nvidia prop drivers, including whatever the latest version was (if 3.10, then that one) in the Ubuntu install, and it was a bollocks fest. I've never before had the open source work as well as or better than the nvidia drivers. But neither one resolved the issues.

I'm not even sure I want to TRY the nvidia drivers with this Mint, since that might put the evil eye on what IS working. If I try the HTFU route, I think I am guaranteeing myself at least 8 hour of mucking-about time, if not more. WAY more time than I would like to spend on issues that I figure should be small.

But, if I get yur drift - yur sayin to htfu and install the nv prop drivers. Ok - I will consider what you say. If I get more ppl sayin the same, I'll just do it.